Barbara Blida, 57, accompanied by a female police officer, went to a bathroom of her apartment in the southern Polish town of Siemianowice Wednesday and shot herself, the Croatian news agency Hina reported Thursday, quoting police spokeswoman Magdalena Stanczyk.

Blida was a parliamentary deputy and member of the post-communist Leftist Democratic Alliance from 1989 to 2005, and served as Polish government construction minister from 1993 to 1996. Police suspected Blida had been taking bribes and the search of her apartment was part of an investigation into a group of 14 people who were allegedly involved in corruption.

Police were reportedly preparing charges against Blida and another 13 people on corruption, money laundering and possessing false documents, Hina said.